Why Determiners Matter

I found this headline. It sounded like an interesting story, one that could provide fodder to my insatiable inner-author. It wasn't. A simple "a" could have saved me the trouble of reading the story. And writing this post, for that matter.

"Neighbors Save Elderly Man from Burning [Insert a City Name Here] Home."

The word "burning," in this case an adjective referring to something on fire, is easily mistaken for the verb "burning" that suggests the lighting of a fire. You can see why it almost looked interesting. Maybe they did it on purpose to lure in someone like me. However, I just read an article in the Washington Times that said many news companies are eliminating copy and type editors to cut costs. They justify it by saying that the tech generation doesn't use standard English anyways, so they're not going to care. What awesome logic.

I've digressed. "Neighbors Save Elderly Man from [a] Burning [Insert a City Name Here] Home." That would clear it up.

R.

Old Grudge

I try not to be prejudiced against John Dewey, even if separating kids out into groups of the same age and sticking them in an isolated room with an adult teacher was one of the dumbest ideas of all time with repercussions felt by every clique-loving socialite, outcast, and wannabe educator even to this very day. But when a composition scholar throws the name John Dewey out there and says that according to John we learn by action and reflection, it makes one wonder what the hell else is there?

R.

P.S. I've been awake way too long working on papers to restrain myself. I promise that we can still be friends, even if you are a Deweyite.